Jordan: melt-down in business due to hot weather

Taxi drivers were not the only ones suffering a slump in business due to Sunday’s heat.

When temperatures climbed as high as 37ºC on Sunday, many taxi drivers in the capital could be found sitting outside, their vehicles parked, seeking shade under trees. “I am taking my last fare and will be heading home afterwards. It is really hot. Look at the streets. They are empty and we are here just hiding from the heat,” a taxi driver at Amman’s northern bus terminal told The Jordan Times. “We are not making any money like this. It is too hot to drive, anyway,” he added.

Taxi drivers were not the only ones suffering a slump in business due to Sunday’s heat. Food kiosk owners said that demand for hot food and sandwiches such as falafel and kebab decreased due to the hot weather, which forced many would-be customers to stay indoors. “It is very slow here. It is too hot for people to be out anyway, but even for those who are out, they would rather buy juice or better yet, ice cream,” Firas Ahmad, a kiosk owner at the bus terminal, told The Jordan Times.

“It is normally busier for us in the summer, but on days like this, business dies, as you can see,” he added. Sales of cold beverages, however, increased. “I have made another order to refill the fridge for the third time with water and juice.

Demand is up 30 percent,” said Abu Salem, another kiosk owner. The Jordan Meteorological Department (JMD) said the current mercury levels were approximately 6ºC higher than the annual average. Raed Rafed, a forecaster at the JMD, told The Jordan Times that maximum temperatures were expected to go down to 34ºC on Monday and 32ºC on Wednesday. He also warned that dusty winds could lead to low visibility in some areas. “We expect low visibility in some areas such as Azraq, Jafer, Maan, Qatraneh and Mafraq,” Rafed said.